


A Matter Of Time

by alittlemystery



Category: Good Girls (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:55:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25943944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alittlemystery/pseuds/alittlemystery
Summary: He was back, and he was going to kill her, but what if… what if she tried to beat him to it? - Beth tries to take matters into her own hands, again. And not in a way he expected. Set somewhere during early season 3.
Relationships: Beth Boland & Rio, Beth Boland/Rio
Comments: 14
Kudos: 256





	A Matter Of Time

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little something I started months ago and managed to finish today so thought I’d share. Feedback is always welcomed :)

She lines them up neatly on the counter, staring at the little circular objects for a moment before wondering if keeping them in their container and throwing them all back in one go would be better. 

Beth fills up her glass with more bourbon, having lost count at how many this is now, rubbing her eyes as a sob catches at the back of her throat. The thing is, she’s tired, she’s so tired. And that’s what has her reaching for the first pill.

Slipping it into her mouth she washes it down with a mouthful of bourbon. Taking in a shaky breath she glances around her kitchen, pausing at the drawings her kids have made littering the refrigerator. Walking over she runs her hand over one Jane made, MOM written in big colourful letters over a rainbow and flower. 

They’re with Dean this weekend, he’s gotten better at looking after them himself, rarely needing Judith's help with them anymore, which is good. Knowing that he can handle them, be what they need, because she won’t be here. It’s better this way, safer this way. No more crime, no more counterfeit money with the possibility of the FBI lurking around the corner. No more of the mess her life has become. 

Her phone rings and she already knows who it is, they were supposed to meet tonight. So she could give him _his_ cut of _her_ money. He’s been ruthless with her lately, stabbing comments, pushing and pushing her, taunting her that he owns her now, and the worst part is she knows she deserves it. But she’s done with him holding the reins on her life, he won’t kill her, won't do it himself anyway. Sometimes she wishes that he would just do it instead of holding the threat and possibility over her head. But that’s not going to happen, for reasons she just doesn’t understand. Maybe it’s not in the rules of the little game of _Elizabeth’s Life_ he’s invented.

Taking another pill off the counter she rolls it between her fingers, waiting for the phone to stop buzzing incessantly before popping it into her mouth.

At the beginning, she’d have a good cry then wipe her tears and pull herself together. Then she’d cry, have a bourbon, then pull herself together, and repeat. But somewhere along the way, she’d just stopped trying to pull herself together. She’d tried for months to feel something, even fear, but she still felt nothing.

She hasn’t left any notes. She went back and forth on it for a while. One for each of her kids, one for her baby sister Annie, and her best friend Ruby. They know how much she loves and adores them and she knows she wouldn’t have to explain her reasons, they’ve been around her these past couple of months after Rio’s return, they know what she’s had to deal with. A moment of doubt seizes her body, Annie would be heartbroken, Ruby too, she knows this would destroy them, but can’t they see she has nothing left to give?

Her kids know that she loves them too and ultimately she doesn’t want them clinging to letters of how much their mommy loved them but had to leave them.

She swallows another pill.

She doesn’t cry, she thinks maybe she should, but she just can’t. Feeling so physically and mentally exhausted that even her tear ducts refuse to cooperate. Pouring herself another glass, things are starting to feel fuzzy, but she still has two pills left. She picks them both up, swallowing them before gulping down the amber liquid.

She shivers slightly before walking over to the couch to grab a blanket when her phone rings again, the shrill sound paired with the vibrating buzzing blaring throughout the room. Letting out a huff of annoyance she goes to reach for the phone when she trips over her boots she hadn’t realised she’d taken off earlier, sending her flying, whacking her head on the kitchen counter on her way down.

* * *

  
Rio taps on the back door, normally he’d just walk in, isn’t quite sure why he hasn’t already. Rolling his eyes and gearing up to give her a speech on punctuality he picks the lock, pushing his way through the door. 

He doesn’t have to look far, Rio follows the pair of mismatched socked feet up to shapely calves and thighs, the rest of her hidden from view and before he knows it, his feet are propelling him towards the kitchen. He lets out a string of expletives at the empty bottle of pills and bourbon on the counter.

Finding her face down, he flips her onto her back gently, eyes widening slightly at the small gash on her forehead. Rio taps her cheek and calls her name, getting no response he does so again a little more forcibly. 

“Elizabeth? C’mon ma wake up”

Putting his head to her chest and fingers to her wrist he realises she’s barely breathing. Folding his hands over her chest he starts CPR.

“C’mon Elizabeth” he grunts, letting out a relieved sigh when she takes in a breath. He scoots towards her head and reaches under her arms to drag her up to lay back against his chest, whispering a “Sorry” before shoving his fingers down her throat, wincing at the sound of her retching.

“I got you” he murmurs, smoothing her hair back from her clammy forehead.

Beth leans back against Rio, now crying with red eyes and mascara running, he’s pretty sure there’s vomit on both her and him.

“I got you”  
  


* * *

  
The next time she opens her eyes all she can see is white, it smells sterile and there’s an annoying beeping coming from somewhere beside her, and that’s when she realises. Hospital.

Moving her gaze from the ceiling her eyes dance around the room until they settle on a figure stood by the window, the sunlight blocking her view of their face. Whoever it is must notice her squinting because they move forward, and her breath immediately catches.

Rio walks slowly towards the chair next to her bed, hands buried deep in his pockets and what she’s pretty sure are dark circles under his eyes but before she can focus too much on that she’s crying, sobbing really, with the realisation that she’s failed at something, again.

“Hey” Rio whispers, voice hoarse and gravelly

She shakes her head in response, scrunching up her eyes and bringing her hands to hide her face from view. She feels his hand delicately wrap around her wrists, bringing them down to his lap, which is when she notices he’s now sat on the bed by her hip. 

He looks at her intently, softly. Releasing one of her hands to cup her cheek, smoothing over the bandage decorating her forehead before wrapping her hair around his thumb and tucking it behind her ear.

“Don’t ever do that again”

She recoils from him slightly at the harshness she sees in his eyes, but what she doesn’t know is that it’s not aimed at her, but at himself.

Rio sighs, and it seems as though his whole body deflates. Taking both her hands in his again, he traces the veins along the back of her hand, eyes following the movement.

“We’ve done a lot of shit to each other yeah?”

She nods, sniffling slightly. Her cheeks wet but not wanting to pull her hand away from his. Her eyes dance back and forth between his and she sees in them what she’d seen in her own every time she’d looked in the mirror. 

“What happens now?” Beth whispers 

“We stop doin what we been doin, we need to talk this shit out” he clears his throat. “I didn’t see… I didn’t know” he trails off not knowing how to word his feelings but she knows, always does. “You’ve always given it back to me yanno?” 

Her mouth opens and closes, not knowing how to respond. Yes, a year ago she’d fight back, stand her ground, but she’s tired of that back and forth with him, doesn’t have the energy for it. 

“I’m tired” she shrugs 

His jaw tightens and he looks away from her, his grip still delicate on her hands though. “I know what happened that night wasn’t just on you, I was wrong to ever go about it the way I did, and the way I’ve been treatin you since” 

Rolling his shoulders he lets out a harsh breath. “I don’t want you feeling like this is your only way out, that’s never what I wanted”

Not wanting to get into every little thing wrong with their relationship whilst bed bound in a hospital she just squeezes his hand, nodding at him with a small smile on her face. 

Nothing that happened tonight, or in the past six months will be fixed immediately, it’s a matter of time. For one they need to stop trying to kill each other. They'll take it from there. 


End file.
